The last few years have seen some very phenomenal and unexpected changes in the global political landscape. The rise of unexpected individuals such as Donald Trump and Rodrigo Duterte to the leading positions of their respective countries, the decisive vote of the United Kingdom against continued membership in the European Union, the recent elections in Italy that have favoured the anti-establishment, etc. are some amongst the most notorious changes to have dawned upon the world in this new era – which has now come to bear the name of the post-globalization era.

Textbooks and educational material for the past decade were in favour of denominating the present in terms of globalization – the worldwide movement that connected individuals on opposing ends of the globe and created what was known as the ‘global village’. The introduction of the internet in the 1970s was the driving force that truly brought about this process, but globalization news is not a mere half-century old. In fact, globalization traces its roots back to the Industrial Era at the very least, and perhaps, as far as the Age of the Discovery of the 15th century. To better understand, let us first dive into the question: what exactly is globalization?

The average definition of the term would be very much similar to the aforementioned phrase: a ‘worldwide movement that connects individuals’. But is connecting individuals the only purpose and definition of the term? Globalisation is not a specific process limited to a single area, and neither is it something limited to itself: globalization affects every part of human life on a fundamental level. An extremely good example of this is the modern-day economy – you cannot find an example of a country that is self-sufficient in its entirety. The China US and North Korea relations show that even North Korea (as perhaps the most secluded country in the world) is reliant on China for its survival. The effects of globalization are such that every country is somehow tied to others, that every individual is linked to others.

And yet, today, we are undoubtedly experiencing a regress in the values and ideals of globalization. Anti-globalization has become a very popular stance amongst people in different countries, and it embodies the collective dissatisfaction of the general populace in the face of diminishing national growth. National decline at different periods in history is not something unheard of for any country, but the issue nowadays is that globalization has allowed individuals access to information about other countries within seconds: in the face of national decline, citizens will additionally also be able to witness countries other than theirs develop and flourish, and this can increase the resentment they feel. This is especially so in the Western countries, who might feel as the international aid the Global North provides should instead be used at home.